A Weekend FULL of Milestones....

A few interesting occurances in our cocoon this weekend.

Whenever we go to the pool in our subdivision I usually invite my really good friend over who's daughter is 7 months older than my son. They get along great and I love to have the adult conversation! Well the last couple times we've gone, her daughter figured out how to swim using just the noodle under her arms and kicking her legs. No help from Mom, she can even steer herself in the right direction. It was just so amazing to me how independent they get all of a sudden...good thing that her Mom is having another baby this week so we can enjoy the baby stage again!!

Another occurance? On Saturday morning while I was in the shower my son got into the diaper bag and pulled out the few crayons that I keep for "emergencies". He created a giant masterpiece all over the hardwood floor in the hallway. This was the first time anything like this happened in our home, I'm sure many of you have tons more experience with this than I. Really, it was a trivial thing since it cleaned up quite nicely. (Kiddo, "helping" with rag in hand too.)

When I thought we were done with the crayon, I noticed him wiping his rag on the wall. I first thought that he was just having fun helping until I saw more marks on the wall which were from my lipgloss (the wand kind) also in the diaper bag. What fun Picasso's Mom must have had!

Our final milestone of the weekend is that my son learned to count. My son's friend that I spoke of above, has been doing alot of counting recently so my son started to also. On Friday he was able to count all the toes on one foot all by himself. Then on Sunday night he was able to count ALL 10 toes ALL by himself. I still wish I could learn half as fast as he does!

At least someone's using it...

We moved this over from my MIL's at least 5 or 6 months ago and my husband and I have each used it once or twice. On the other hand our son uses it at least once a day while I'm in the shower...hey I'm sure it's worth whatever money she paid for it if it keeps her grandson entertained!

But seriously I do need to get motivated to work out more!

Thursday Thirteen: #1

THIRTEEN THINGS I ABSOLUTELY ADORE ABOUT YOU, MY SON

1. How when one of us says "I Love You" you say "Dew Mama."

2. How instead of replying to a question with a simple "yes" you so formally say "I do".

3. How you say/sign "please" and "thank you" (you say "te te") without always being prompted.

4. The way you dance and how you have different "styles" of dancing depending on the type of music.

5. How you ask for Grandma if too much time lapses between visits.

6. Your complete LOVE of life. How seeing something as simple as a bird landing nearby can make you all giddy and overwhelmed. You make me see the amazing things in the once "normal".

7. How when you see a bug you yell "bugga, bugga, bugga..." and crawl after it. Sometimes you'll even reach your arms out saying "awe" which is what you do when you want a hug.

8. Your little melodramas, since they teach me valuable parenting skills, mainly patience :)

9. How you have to have everything "just so", no pieces of clothing hanging out of the hamper and no rocks out of the flower beds...too funny.

10. Your giggle and laugh always make my day, but mostly after bath when you ask me to dry "uner 'ere" covering your armpit as you say it but asking for the tickle!

11. How you'll fold your hands and say "Amen" before every meal and at random times throughout the day. You must already know that God is always willing to listen.

12. How you can eat a whole peach in a minute or two and still want "more, more, more!"

13. How you get so excited to see Daddy. You look at him with such awe and love, I love watching you doing things together!

I could keep going, but the meme's 13 so; I'm basically just in utter love with all you do, my Son!!!
Click here for more participants in Thursday Thirteen.

You, Out!

Tonight, I had my first experience with a "floater" in my son's bath tub. I was in the room (duh kiddo in the tub!) but with my back to him putting away diapers in the changing table when I hear this "yuk, yukie.....guk." As I'm turning around I already know what's happened, or I think I do, but to my surprise he is standing up holding out his hands and looking out of the tub onto the bath mat where he has thrown said poop out of the tub.

Works For Me: Bread Crumbs

I decided to switch up my wednesday and try out Works for Me Wednesday hosted by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer

I make pretty much all of the bread that we eat around here (to give credit where it's due for the past few months my bread maker does much of the work) and since we only have 3 in our family we usually don't use the entire loaf before it gets stale. Homemade bread always gets stale so quickly without all those preservatives in there (thankfully).

When it does get stale, I slice it throw it in the blender and make bread crumbs. I store them in a freezer bag in the freezer and then I have fresh bread crumbs whenever I need them for stuffing zucchini, mushrooms, breading chicken etc. I use them just like store bought ones and they are essentially free since the bread would more than likely have gone to waste.

Anyway, it works for me!

Meme, Baby

Mary's one year old at Owlhaven tagged my one year old and he was so happy to get his little fingers on my keyboard!

3 Things That Scare Me
Wobbly bridges at the park
Slides - sometimes I love them, sometimes not
Anyone trying to take me away from Mommy (I'll let her think so for a little longer.)

3 People That Make Me Laugh
My Daddy
My Grampy
MY doggies

3 Things I Love
Mommy rocking me to sleep
Playing the piano with Daddy
Trucks, tractors, fire engines, choo choos, airplanes, anything that goes...

3 Things I Hate
Bed time
When it's time to come inside
Teething

3 Things I Don't Understand
Why story time can't last until 10pm
Why no one lets me "beep" their nose, they all did it to me!
Why I can't throw food on the floor, I mean the dogs do eat it.

3 Things On My Floor
Mega blocks
My Big Truck Book
My stacking blocks

3 Things I'm Doing Right Now
Running
trying to catch my Molly dog
screeching

3 Things I Want to Do Someday
Actually drive the car
Talk on my very own REAL cell phone
Work the remote control

3 Things I Can Do
Repeat each letter of the alphabet after someone else
Repeat each number up to 10 after Mommy
Tell the difference between a bulldozer and a backhoe

3 Ways to Describe My Personality
Observant
Content
Silly

3 Things I Cannot Do
Get myself dressed
Jump (I put a ton of effort in but my feet just stay put)
Go for a ride on my doggies (I try but Mommy doesn't let me stay sitting on either of them long enough.)

3 Things I Think You Should Listen To
Me calling the dogs in from outside
Me saying the alphabet with Mom
Me playing the piano

3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen To
"bring it to me"
"sit still"
"use a quiet voice"

3 Absolute Favorite Foods
Berries (really haven't met one I didn't like)
Yogurt
Pasta

3 Things I'd Like to Learn
How to climb out of my crib
How to climb into Mommy and Daddy's bed
How to open the refrigerator

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
Water
Rice or Soy Milk
Very diluted juice (sometimes Daddy gives me the good stuff but don't tell Mommy)

3 Shows I Watch
Sesame Street
Zoboomafoo
The first two minutes of Teletubbies is all it tapes but I'd watch the entire show if Mom would let me

3 Babies I Tag
Lori's Mark atGlass Half Full (If you want to I know your life is busy right now!)
Xavier at New Mama's Nest ...oops I noticed you put it on his blog already never mind!
I get stuck at two when I'm counting so I'm calling it good. (All the other babies I frequent seem to have done this one already I think...I'm behind the curve, or maybe my Mommy needs to spend more time making more friends!

UPDATE: I also tag Lil' Duck at Lil' Duck Duck

Frustrating tomatoes

Tonight I noticed dark spots on the bottoms of my tomatoes...yikes, hold everything...I promply ran in jumped on the computer and found out it is called "blossom end rot." Seriously what did I ever do before the world wide web? I have personally learned alot from this baby.

Back to my tomatoes...I was sort of freaking out since they are the one thing in my small garden that I can make last quite a long time by canning. I think there could be some hope and all won't be ruined. I would love some help if anyone out there has had any experience with this please. Thanks!!

"Me" Time

For the past few months, while my hubby is putting our son to bed I "sneak" outside to check on my gardens. I'll weed (compulsively) and water things our sprinklers miss.

Tonight I noticed I have 5 tiny pumpkins on plants I have pretty much ignored for the last month. I found many tiny squash and of the many green tomatoes some are beginning to turn red!!!

Although I have done this every evening for pretty much the entire spring and so far this summer I am just beginning to realize how much I really enjoy this time. Every year it amazes me that tiny seeds grow so large so fast and then give my family such wonderful fruits and veggies. I just love to let myself be amazed by it nightly.

I read this verse for the first time today and it seems to fit.

(1 Corinthians 15:35-41) But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

Broken Toad

I just have engrave in my head how my little cutie came running over saying "Daddy oooowwwww toad" after Adam stubbed his toe this morning. He usually says it closer to "toesie".

I think I also owe my dear husband a public apology since I was giggling and basically called him a wimp when he said he thought that it was broken. Now, after several hours and many beautiful shades of blue later it does indeed look like a broken toad.

Dirt Piles

I found these piles of dirt around the house the other day. They are placed so nicely on windowsills and the couch and sprinkled on toys! I didn't see my son do this (I really don't leave him alone but seriously WHERE was I?) but he helped me vacuum it up. I'm not terribly sure that this was actually a punishment since he loves to "help" me vacuum but I figured there's got to be a lesson there somewhere! On a similar note, since I've been giving him a towel and having him clean up the "accidental/on purpose" dog water dish spills there have be WAY less of them. I guess we’ll see.

Wordless Wednesday: Yogurt Anyone?

I must have a hundred pictures of my little cuddlebug covered in one food or another, this is the most recent example.

Take a deep breath...or hold your nose

Personally I've been enjoying the amazing smell coming from this small bounty of garlic that my Mom and I harvested yesterday from my garden. Since it is my first year growing garlic I am extremely pleased with the results which are now hanging on my fence to cure. I had trouble finding a shady spot since we are in a newer subdivision with immature landscaping and no room for a garden shed but this spot is working fine so far.

BTW if you haven't read

"Don't Leave It On The Desk"

over at Owlhaven, it is definately worth the read!

Wedding favors as promised...

Wow, it's been a busy weekend here. My parents are visiting so lots of fun all around! Now today our internet is on the fritz...so frustrating.

Well, as promised I'll tell you about my wedding favors...

These are the gel candles I made the larger ones for the centerpieces and smaller ones for the favors. I visited resaurant supply stores to find all the glasses for the candles. I found vases for the centerpiece candles and tumbler glasses for the favors. I also bought wine glasses and mugs for the bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts.

I then spent days with a diamond tip on my dremmel etching our names and the date into each glass votive and I also etched the mugs and glasses with a fish themed stencil I found. It was a lot of work but well worth it. I just wanted to give everyone who attended something special and from the heart, that didn't totally break the bank.

Our Perfect Day!

I have been thinking about my wedding day since our anniversary is this week and I thought it would be fun to share some of the details. Also, please feel free to share yours!!

First, let me preface this with the fact that we had a fabulous wedding on a hotel rooftop overlooking the pacific on a VERY tight budget. We cut many corners and shaved stuff off here and there. Since we had such a beautiful location we had hardly any flowers and I don't think anyone noticed. However, I am most proud of our centerpieces and wedding favors. Which I plan to post about tomorrow!

Some fun memories of my perfect day! My college roommate lead a yoga class for me and some friends and family that morning and it was amazing, it really got me focused and relaxed. (I was also sore for three days after since she makes me work.) Anyway, at 15 minutes before show time I'm all ready and waiting when I hear my soon to be husband downstairs with hotel security who doesn't want to let the minister park "on site"! I ask my sister to go see what’s going on from the balcony and by the look on her face I know he's not in his Tux yet.

Alas, the ceremony did get underway and it was perfect, no one fainted or forgot what to say I'd do it again today just for the thrill of it. Anyway, I said we were on a budget and the one thing that we really skimped on was the DJ. He had a very thick accent that we never noticed somehow in our other conversations with him, but when he announced us at the reception as "Allen and HEde" instead of Adam and Heidi I was a bit mortified, but what's in a name anyway!

He starts to play "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias as planned for our first dance and a few bars in to the intro Adam pulls me close and says "honey don't freak out but this the Remix", I pull back slightly with a "WHAT" look. My wonderful hubby calmly says "just stay calm, we've got to go with it" and I can now hear the faint techno music getting louder in the background as he sings "Will you dance, if I ask you to dance?..." We keep dancing and I still felt very graceful, like the princess every girl wants to be on their wedding day. Despite my first fleeting thought "this is going to ruin everything" I'm very grateful it didn't. It even felt to me as if this is what we had planned. We really did pull off the performance (and we really did have a chat with the DJ later!) but it really is fun to remember the little imperfections that made our day very much ours!

Even though my hubby and I were together for just under 6 years before we were married just the way he took charge and stopped my panic in that short dance really is a blessing and is a testimony of what our marriage has become and is becoming. We truly work well together in and out of life's little pressure cooker and that is our secret to a happy marriage!

Wordless Wednesday

You can find other Wordless Wednesday participants here.

3 Things

I've been tagged by Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing

3 Things That Scare Me
Scary Movies (but I love to watch them anyway)
Mice
Crazy drivers

3 People That Make Me Laugh
My hubby
Bill Cosby (grew up listening to him)
My Son

3 Things I Love
God & my family (I agree with Stephanie about Family Time)
Bubble baths
Food

3 Things I Hate
Hate
Hate
Hate

3 Things I Don’t Understand
Html (but I'm learning)
Politics
Grammar (but I do plan to learn again with my kid)

3 Things On My Desk
Bills
Pictures
Cards (old ones from loved ones)

3 Things I’m Doing Right Now
Talking to my husband
Chewing gum
Digesting a very yummy dinner

3 Things I Want to Do Before I Die
Live a long and full life being true to myself in all my rolls as a woman (wife, sister, daughter, mother, friend, grandmother - eventually, etc.)
Eat Italian food in Italy
So many others but I'd like to find a way to give back to the world although I'm not so sure on the HOW right now.

3 Things I Can Do
Dance
Scuba Dive
Bake

3 Ways to Describe My Personality
Relaxed
A bit silly
A Listener

3 Things I Can’t Do
Speak a second language (despite 5 years of German)
Get caught up on the laundry
Keep a straight face when my Son makes silly faces

3 Things I Think You Should Listen To
God
Children
Your dreams (Dreams as in goals not necessarily the sleeping ones :)

3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen To
Generally speaking, the media

3 Absolute Favorite Foods
Spicy Scallop Handroll (practically ALL sushi)
Lobster - but it has to be Atlantic because the claws are my FAV
Pretty much anything that is homemade from scratch

3 Things I’d Like to Learn
Html
Sign Language (not just the individual signs like I've learned with my son but how to carry on a conversation)
Spanish

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
Water
Water
Tea (hot or iced and it has to be herbal - no caffeine sadly, I can't take it anymore)

3 Shows I Watched as a Kid
The Dukes of Hazard
MacGyver
90210 (As much as I hate to admit it)

3 People I Tag
Since, I am not sure about 3 people who actually read my blog regularly I guess I'll be giving 3 people a free pass!!! But feel free to do this and just let me know!

Elementary, My Dear

I saw this meme over at Adventures in Babywearing and I thought it looked like fun to reminisce about Elementary and Middle school.

I think the most memorable thing from Kindergarten was playing the Dukes of Hazard with two other boys in my class. My parents were pretty strict about TV usage but I guess that was an ok show! My Mom used to make all of our Halloween costumes and this year I was Wendy from Peter Pan. She made me a blue dress and a wig of yarn for which I was made fun of on the bus (I wonder now if it was really that bad).

I really loved my first grade teacher she was very kind and gentle and made us eager to learn. I remember making a book of all the different dinosaurs with drawings of each and a paragraph of description below. I came back from Thanksgiving break excited because my baby brother was born and telling all my friends how cute he was! "Show and Tell" was a big favorite of mine. I brought in my baby brother for one and another time my black lab named Spencer who we adopted when he and I were both three. He was the best dog. For field day we'd walk through the woods on a trail that lead to a nearby park and have three-legged races, tug of wars etc.

In second grade our class took a field trip to Teatown and I fell in the lake. Yup, I actually fell in from the dock so I was completely soaked from head to toe! I still have a sneaky suspicion of someone who pushed me but I'm not going to name any names! Luckily one of the women who worked there lived nearby and had a daughter. She loaned me a complete outfit to wear for the ride back to school. I think my Mom chaperoned many a field trip after that!!! I learned to laugh at myself when people would bring up this incident throughout the rest of our school years. I also started taking dance classes after school sometime during second grade. Later, dancing would become a major part of my life.

In third grade I had the dreaded Mr. Plato. He was extremely strict, we had heard stories on the bus of him throwing things across the room and slapping rulers on desks. It was one of my least favorite years for many reasons. The first reason is a friend and I got in trouble for putting Elmer’s glue on our hands, letting it dry and then peeling it off. (I have no clue why we were doing this!) We then had to move our desks to the front of the room next to the teachers for a couple of weeks. I lost a class spelling bee by forgetting the P in raspberry. I vividly remember staying up until 1am to complete a homework project with my parents helping. Luckily we had a two hour delay because of snow the next morning. Thinking back now at who was in the class I know that both our valedictorian and salutatorian were there with me and a good number of other students in the top of our class. Maybe there's something to be said about learning fourth and fifth grade stuff in third grade although I think home schooling might be a less terrifying option!

In fourth grade I had Mr. Storer who was a breeze after Mr. Plato. We read the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which was an instant favorite. One boy used to chase me at recess and make fun of my last name saying that my mother must "Fly in the shower." Back then I thought it was an insult but now thinking back I should have turned around and chased him until he could come up with something better.

In fifth grade I had Mr. Whipple (just like the guy in the Charmin commercials my friends told me...that's how little TV I watched.) He must have been the teacher that sparked my interest in science since many of the memories of this year are science related. He brought in a deer heart and liver and other parts all cleaned for us to examine when we were learning about the organs of the body. By this year I had made the group of friends that I would stick with for the rest of my school years and beyond. My best friend and I were in dance together and we were inseparable for many a year. Our families became each other's second families and she would later be in my wedding and always a very good friend.

It has certainly been fun to remember these times in my life embarrassing yes, but fun too. It’s neat to think about the people and wonder where they are now.

More Choo Choo, More Choo Choo

This morning as we were looking at pictures my son was basically narrating our entire trip to me. For a minute when we were looking at pictures of the beach I couldn’t figure out why he was saying “more choo choo, more choo choo.” Then I remembered that the train tracks were just a few blocks from the beach and we had eaten lunch just a block away from them. We kept hearing trains go by that day; we must have seen and heard at least four. His Auntie would pick him up for each one so that he could see them going in between the blocks. I am amazed that the almost two year old brain can remember this since it has been two weeks and there is not a train is any of my pictures. While my mind is like a sieve, his is very much like a sponge!

Learning To Share

This trip was the first time that my parents, brother, sister and I have all been together since my brother’s wedding almost three years ago. It was the first time that I’ve met my brother’s kids and he mine. So, what do you get when you take a two year old, an almost two year old, the most handsome 6 month old on the planet and their families (Grandparents, parents, Aunt, Great Aunt, and Gram - my hubby, sadly, was the only one missing) living under Great-Gram’s roof for a week? Well, here’s some of what you get……

• “Your son(s) is (are) so sweet.”
• “DoNOT pinch your baby cousin’s nose!”
• “Find a way to share or the toy is going bye-bye”
• “You are too cute!”
• “Don’t tackle your cousin!”
• “Can we put the loud Elmo toy away puleeeeeeeeez!”
• “Awwww how cute”
• “Thank goodness Aunt Melissa is here to play mediator!”
• “I’ll hold the baby!”
• “You guys are tooooooo adorable!”
• “_____is playing with that, you can have a turn when he’s done.”
• “Where is Adam anyway, the girls are ganging up on me!”
• “They are sooooo funny dancing together!”
• “I can’t believe they are getting along so well together”
• “Of course they are best buddies on the last day!”
• “Let’s not go this long without seeing each other anymore…”
• “I love you guys!!!!”

I will post some pictures tomorrow, there are just too many cute ones to pick from!

Testing

I have to post a picture of me so that I can add it to my profile. This was taken on our wedding day which next week will be four years ago. I can't find anything more recent that I like as much.

Tysha and Beija Kisses!!!!

Our trip to CA started in LA where we played and were thoroughly slobbered on!!! It was so great to see my very dear friend since I think the last time we actually saw each other was at least 6 years ago. Yikes, way too long!! Anyway, she is such a wonderful woman and a true inspiration. Thanks for letting us take over your place and awaken you at O’dark thirty in the morning! Give Beija slobbers from us, miss you guys a ton!!!

Good to be back!

I have been home for a week now and I'm still not caught up on the house work, argh!!! But it's good to be back here. We had a nice relaxing 4th and my kiddo really liked the fireworks. When we told him the sparkler was hot he tried to blow it out! How funny that I happened to click a picture at just the right time!!! He was so not having anything to do with bed since about half of our neighborhood was celebrating and shooting off fireworks. We sat out front until 10:30 in PJ's and by the end of it all he was chanting "more skies daddy"!